Tag Archives: Working Memory

As a former middle school teacher, I often used the phrase, “Pay attention!” Now you hear me telling you to never, ever say that.

Why? It seems innocent enough.

Well, first of all, it’s terrible teaching. It’s NOT at all “brain-based teaching.” In fact, it’s one more example of why kids learn to dislike school more, every year they go. First graders are so pumped up, but by the time kids make it to their last year in school, they’ve learned that school is not for them.

If we do not count the high school certificates and equivalencies, only 70% of our nation’s kids graduate overall. The rates for Hispanics, African-Americans and Native Americans are under 50% in most areas of the US.

If you think you know brain-based teaching, there’s a lot to learn! But, now that I’ve “taken away” from you one of the most commonly used attention-getters (“Pay attention!’), what should you do instead?

Can Relevant Research Help Your Students Score Higher on Your Upcoming BIG Tests? Let’s focus on something I ordinarily NEVER focus on: testing. As much as I dislike the types, timing, policies, content and uses of existing state and national tests (is there anything I left out?), the reality is, we’d rather our students get […]

A huge base of literature shows the inverse relationships between poverty or low socioeconomic status and health, but very few understand the connections with poverty. You can get help teaching kids in poverty. How? Start by learning about poverty and its effect on learning and behavior. Multiple studies have examined longitudinal relations between duration of […]

Each week we’ll publish tips on Sunday to hep jump start and stimulate your classroom. The tips will also demonstrate how simple engagement strategies can pay big dividends in the classroom… Stop reading information to students. Give them a role. Every day, multiple students can have the roles of morning announcements, previews of coming attractions […]

“Could you remind me, what did you just say? Part 1: Research Have you ever been in one room of the house and started walking towards another room with a goal in mind… Usually, you’re thinking of a task such as, “Ive got to get that file or book from the bedroom.” Halfway to the […]

What Does the Neuroscience Say Are the Factors that Contribute Most to Student Achievement? Almost every teacher I meet has a theory about kids. Well, actually, he or she has many theories. But if I ask the million dollar question, “What is it that contributes most to student learning?” the teacher usually gets quiet. I […]